wabc's jim dolan was still there. >> reporter: at the end of the night they still had to spray water on what was left behind on a massive explosion in new jersey that turned homes into splinters, leaving scores damaged and at least ten destroyed. >> loudest sound i ever heard. >> police tried to explain the chaos. >> reporter: contractors digging a hole ruptured a gas line and notified psg & e. the explosion blasted through the house of robert conrad was four houses away. >> sitting there, finishing lunch and bang boom. and a lot of things sprung off the wall. and ran out and looked. the smoke was just overhead. it was starting to rain insulation. >> reporter: you can see what he means. the insulation hangs still on the branches near his home. the city is still investigating but they acknowledge no homes were evacuated when the gas line ruptured until after the explosion. are you comfortable the proper steps were taken to secure that area? >> well, you know, without knowing the whole picture of this thing right now, because it's fragmented, i'd rather not comment on it. >> reporter: